Machine for capping tubes



p 1949- J. WALDINGER MACHINE FOR CAPPING' TUBES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1'7, 1946 INVENTOR Maumce lwmomem ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1949- M. J. WALDINGER MACHINE FOR CAPPING TUBES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1946 INVENTOR Mnumcs J. Wnwmaaa ATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1949. M. J. WALDINGER MACHINE FOR CAPPING TUBES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 17, 1945 INVENTOR Mnuaaxce J. Wnwmsm ATTORNEY p 1949- M. J. WALDINGER MACHINE FDR CAPPING TUBES Filed May 17, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MHURICE J. Wmomem INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,483,028 7 meme Foa carrmc TUBES Maurice Waldinger, New York, N. Y.

Application May 17, 1946, Serial No. 670,463

17 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a machine for capping tubes, and more particularly to the capping of Celluloid tubes or the like.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient machine for capping the ends of Celluloid tubes, and more particularly to tubes used for barrels and caps of aninexpensive grade of fountain pen, pencils, thermometer cases, or the like.

The present machine provides for feeding tubes from a stationary hopper by gravity into a conical feeder which in turn feeds the tubes by gravity into a perpendicular holder which receives the tubes and allows them to drop part way through, so that the bottom of the tube will contact a guideplate, which fixes the position of the bottom of the tube so that when it is intermittently rotated on a turntable it will overlie or register with a small receptacle containing an adhesive or solvent such as acetate, or the like.

When the tube is rotated so that the bottom thereof is in registry with the adhesive receptacle, the receptacle is then raised up to immerse a substantial amount of the bottom of the tube.

The tube is then rotatably carried over to a recessed disc which in turn carries a plurality of preferably Celluloid buttons or discs, coming from a disc or button hopper.

When the bottom of the tube, after having been dipped, is in registry with the button, a plunger raises one of the buttons out of one of the recesses up into contact with the bottom of the tube.

The tube with the button adhered thereto, is then rotatably advanced to the ejection station where mechanism in the holder is released by a cam to permit the tube and the attached button to fall down a chute by gravity.

The present invention also provides for the capping of various diameters and lengths of tubes by substituting a circular plate having recesses therein adjacent the button hopper with larger or smaller recesses therein for receiving various diameter of buttons corresponding with the various diameters of tubes to be capped.

The conical feeder that feeds the tubes into the holders has a pluralit of channels along the frustrums which are large enough to receive the minimum and maximum diameters of tubes which this machine will accommodate.

This invention also .provides a turntable to accommodate a plurality of holders for the tubes, and a second turntable to accommodate a plurality of buttons or discs corresponding to the number of holders on the first turntable.

The turntable carrying the tubes and. the turn 2 table carrying the buttons or discs are both rotated intermittently so that, one of the tubes will always be in registry with one of the buttons or discs while the turntables are both at rest.

Still another novel feature of the present invention is to provide a machine wherein the tubes are all held in a vertical position during all of the operations, for the reason that it is very important to dip the tube into the adhesive receptacle in an upright position so that the adhesive or solvent will run down on the outside and inside of the tubes to contact the surface of the buttons, and after the button is raised into contact with the bottom of the tube there will be a suflicient amount of adhesive within the tube to provide a very substantial bond between the inner wall of the tube and the flat surface of the button or disc. Since the acetate is a solvent it is very important that the acetate should not be permitted to run along the length of the tubes which so often happens with machines where the buttons are applied to the tubesin a horizontal position.

It is of course obvious that any cross section of a tube such as a hexagonal, or the like, may be used in this machine without changing this machine in the slightest.

It is also obvious that other than fountain pen tubes and caps may be capped in a like machine wherein the solvent or adhesive will readily adhere, so that ejection of the finished capped tube may be accomplished very quickly.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious as brought out in the following specification.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thi specification, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation, of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the tube holder;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the drive for feeding the buttons in the button hopper;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the cam mechanism for raising the dipping tank and the plunger for removing the-buttons from the feeder, and;

Fig. 7 is a detail of the conical feeder for feeding the tubes.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown by way of illustration merely, a tube capping mersed in a small receptacle I of acetate or the like, after which they are carried over a turntable I6, to register with a button turntable which 'carries the buttons I].

one of the buttons I1 is raised and adhesively fixed to the bottom of the tube "which is then carried over to register with a chute I8, where the tube II with the button II is ejected from the holders I3 and dropped by gravity down the chute I8.

In operating the machine, a plurality of tubes or barrels II are placed in a hopper III in a uniform manner so that, all of the tubes lie parallel to each other and transversely of the hopper I8, where they are then led by gravity down an inclined base portion I9 of the-hopper. I6, to an opening 20 which is in registry with one of the recesses 2| in the frustrum of the conical feeder l2.

The conical feeder I2 is provided with a suitable cover plate to prevent the tubes or barrels II from falling out of the feeder until they reach the bottom of the feeder where they drop by gravity into the holders I3.

The conical feeder I2 is rotated intermittently with the turntable I4 by a pair of beveled gears 22 and 23. The bevel gear 22 is mounted on the turntable shaft 24 and meshes with the gear 23 on a stub shaft 25, (see Fig. '7)

The recesses 2| in the frustum of the cone are horizontal and parallel with the bottom of the hopper when they are adjacent thereto, but when they are in a position diametrically opposite they are perpendicular, so that when the tube II is received in the recess 2| at the top of the conical feeder it is in a horizontal position and when the conical feeder is rotated to 180, the recesses are in a perpendicular position relative to the holder I3.

When the tube I I is dropped into the holder i3 (see Fig. 4), they strike a horizontal guide plate 26, which fixes the bottom of the tube in a predetermined position for subsequent operations. When the tube I I and holder I3, attached to the turntable I4, is rotated, the bottom of the tube II rides along the guide plate 26 until the arm 21 drops off the cam 28 to permit the sliding plate 29 to move inwardly against the tube II, so that the arcuate plate 38 will impinge upon the tube II and hold it firmly against an opposed arcuate plate 3| while the tube undergoes subsequent operations, hereinafter explained.

The spring 32 having one end fixed to a rigid part of the machine 33 and the other end fixed to a depending portion of the slide plate 29 is expanded as shown so as to urge: the arcuate plate 30 into engagement with the tube II, when the bottom of the arm 21 is released by means of the cam 28.

After the arm 21 rides ofi the cam 28 the tube ii is carried over to a receptacle I5 containing an adhesive such as acetate or the like (see Fig. 6).

When the tube II is in registry with the receptacle IS the high spot of the cam 34 engages the roller 35 on an arm 36 and raises the platform 31 carrying the receptacle I5 upwardly in the amount of the bottom of the tube II into the acetate in the receptacle I5.

The acetate in the receptacle I5 is kept at a predetermined level and supplied by drops from a reservoir 38 through the valve 39, pipe 48, funnel 4|, and pipe 42.

The valve 39 is opened slightly to permit a continuous dropping of acetate into the receptacle I5 to compensate for the acetate which was placed upon the bottom of the tube II.

After the tube II has been immersed in the acetate the platform 31 is lowered by reason of the roller 35 riding to the low spot on the cam 34. which permits the tube II to advance to a button turntable I6 where the button I1 is applied to the bottom of the tube II and at the direction of the arrow to immerse a substantialsame time the advancing tube II is immersed in the acetate.

The buttons I! are fed into the turntable I6 as follows: a quantity of buttons II are placed in the hopper 43 where they are picked up by a rotatable disc 44 having a plurality of pickers 45 thereon extending at right angles to the disc 44, for carrying the buttons I'I up to the end of a slide 46. The slide feeds by gravity a succession of buttons down into a recess 41 in the fixed ring 48 surrounding the turntable I6 and in line with the recesses 49 in the turntable I6.

When the turntables I6 and I4 are rotated intermittently and synchronously, one of the buttons I! is always under the bottom of one of the tubes II and when in this position the plunger .58 mounted on the platform 31 with the receptacle I5 will be raised up simultaneously with the receptacle l5 by the cam 34 to cap one tube I I, and dip the next succeeding tube as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

When the button I1 is raised up in contact with the bottom of the tube II it will adhere thereto and be carried around by the turntable I4 to the chute I8 and ejected.

The ejection is brought about by the cam 5| which is similar to the cam 28 on the opposite side of the machine.

When the arm 21 approaches the cam 5I it rides upon the edge of the cam and retracts the plate 29 and releases the arcuate plate '30 from engagement with the tube II and permits the tube II to ride down the chute I8 as shown in Fig. 4.

The movement from the button station to the chute is timed to permit the adhesive to dry.

The mechanism for driving the machine consists of a motor 52 having a pulley or gear 53 thereon which drives a pulley or gear 54 on a gear reduction box 55 by a belt or chain 56.

The conventional gear reduction box 55 has a main drive shaft 51 running up through the base plate of the machine as shown in Fig. 3, and carries an eccentric arm 58 engaging with a bell crank lever 59 in the turntable shaft 24, and has a pawl 60 pivoted thereon which in turn engages notches 6! in a fixed disc 62 fixed to theshaft 24.

When the shaft 51 makes a complete revolution it pulls one end of the eccentric arm 58 around and actuates the bell crank lever 58 to release the pawl 69 from one of the notches M, which causes the pawl 68 to move aiound the disc 62 to engage the next succeeding notch M to rotate the shaft 24 60 on each pull of the pawl 68. This causes the holders I3 carrying the tubes I I to come to intermittent stops at the proper stations during the dipping and buttoning operations.

The turntable shaft 24 carries a gear 63 which meshes with an idler gear 68 on a stub shaft 8'. which in turn meshes with a gear 61' on thebutton turntable shaft 68' .so that the turntables l4 and I8 rotate in unison.

The gear 64 also meshes with a gear 61 for rotating the shaft 65 carrying the cam 06.

The main drive shaft 51 has a pulley thereon carrying a belt 12 which leads over pulley I. and H to engage with a large pulley I! to rotate shaft II which carries the disc N for lifting the buttons l'l in the button hopper 43 up to the slide 46.

A safety friction coupling or clutch 15 is mounted on the shaft 24 to prevent any breakage of the machine in the event any parts should Many modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. a

I claim:

1. In a machine for adhesively applying a cap to fountain pen barrels or the like having a horizontal rotatable turntable with perpendicularly mounted tubular holders thereon for the reception of said fountain pen barrels; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a barrel feeder including. a gravity feed hopper, a rotatable cone adjacent the bottom" of said hopper having longitudinal grooves or recesses therein along the frustum thereof for the reception of said barrels and positioned in respect to said hopper and said holders on said turntable for conveying said barrels from a horizontal position from said hopper to a vertical position to said holders upon a 180 rota ion of said cone, and gravity means for dropping said barrels into said holders.

2. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to fountain pen barrels or the like having a horizontal rotatable turntable with perpendicularly mounted tubular barrel holders thereon for holding said barrels in a vertical position; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a barrel feeder including, a gravity feed hopper, a rotatable cone adjacent the bottom of said hopper having longitudinal grooves or recesses therein along the frustum thereof for the reception of said barrels and positioned in respect to said hopper and said holders on said turntable for conveying said barrels from a horizontal position from said hopper to a vertical position to said holders upon a 180 rotation of said cone,

and gravity means for dropping said barrels into said barrel holders.

3. ,In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to fountain pen barrels or the like having a horizontal rotatable turntable with perpendicularly mounted tubular holders thereon for the reception of said fountain pen barrels; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a barrel feeder includingga gravity feed hopper having an inclined surface adjacent the bottom thereof and communicating with an opening large enough to permit one barrel to pass thru, a rotatable cone adjacent the opening in the bottom of said hopper having longitudinal grooves or recesses therein along the frustum thereof for the reception of said barrels and positioned in respect to said hopper and said holders on said turntable for conveying said barrels from a horizontal position from the bottom of said hopper to a vertical position to said holders upon a 180 rotation of said cone, and gravity means for drop ping said barrels into said holders.

4. In a machine for adhesively applying a can I having longitudinal grooves or recesses therein along the frustum thereof for the reception of said mounted tubular holders thereon for holding said barrels in a vertical position, said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a barrel feeder including, a gravity feed hopper, a rotatable cone adjacent the bottom of said hopper having longitudinal grooves or recesses therein along the frustum thereof for the reception of said barrels and positioned in respect to said hopper and said vertical holders on said turntable for conveying said barrels from a horizontal position from said hopper to a vertical position to said holders upon a 180 rotation of said cone and a cover plate surrounding said cone for holding said barrelsin said recesses during the 180 rotation of said cone.

6. Ina machine for adhesively securing a cap to the end of a fountain pen barrel or the like having a circular horizontally mounted rotatable turntable with perpendicularly mounted and equally spaced tubular holders thereon for the reception and conveying of said fountain pen barrels; said turntable adapted to be intermitten'tly rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a barrel feeder including a gravity feed hopper for holding said barrels parallel with said turntable, a rotatable cone adjacent the bottom of saidhopper for conveying said barrels from said hopper having a longitudinal and equally spaced grooves or recesses therein along the frustum thereof for the reception of said barrels and positioned in respect to said hopper and said holders on said turntable for conveying said barrels from a. horizontal position from the bottom of said hopper to a. vertical position to said holders upon a 180 rotation of said cone, a cover plate surrounding said cone having longitudinal openings adjacent the bottom of the hopper for holdin said barrels in said recesses during the rotation of said cone.

7. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a horizontally mounted and intermittently rotatable turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper, said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means comprising a base plate for fixing the position of the bottom of said barrel in respect to the to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable circular turntable with equally spaced barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means comprising a base plate for fixing the position of the bottom of said barrel in respect to the bottom of said barrel holders, and means including a trigger mechanism actuated by a spring and a stationary cam plate for holding said barrel in said holder and releasing said barrel from said holder.

9. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable circular turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted and equally spaced thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means comprising a base plate for fixing the position of the bottom of said barrel when said barrel is fed into said holder in respect to the bottom of said holder, and means including an arcuate plate and spring trigger mechanism actuated by a stationary substantially circular cam plate for holding said barrel within said holder and releasing said barrel from said holder.

10. In a machine for adhesively securing a cup to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable circular turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper, said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means comprising a cam for actuating a mechanism for applying an adhesive to the bottom of one of said barrels, and means including the aforesaid cam actuating mechanism for simultaneously applying a cap to the bottom of another preceding barrel which had already been supplied with adhesive.

11. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable circular turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for conveying said barrels being fed from a hopper, said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means comprising a cam actuated mechanism for applyin adhesive to the bottom of one of said barrels, and means including the aforesaid cam actuated mechanism for simultaneously applying a cup to the bottom of another preceding barrel which had already been supplied with adhesive.

12. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means for ejecting the capped barrel from a trigger mechanism ac- 'for rethe machine including, tuated by a stationary cam and sp leasing said barrel from said'holder s that-the barrel may drop out of the holder by ravity.

13. In a machine for adhesively se having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable circular turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for conveying said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a cap feeding mechanism for holding circular caps including, an inclined hopper having a rotatable base plate therein with pickers thereon tor carrying said circular caps up to a slide, and

intermittently, rotatable disc adjacent the bottom of said slide having a plurality of arcuate recesses in the periphery thereof for the reception of said circular caps, and means comprising a mechanism interconnected with said turntable mechanism for intermittently stopping said disc simultaneously with the stopping of said turntable.

14. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable circular turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a cap feeding mechanism for holding circular caps including, an inclined hopper having a rotatable base plate therein with pickers thereon for carrying said circular caps up to a gravity slide, an intermittently rotatable disc adjacent the bottom of said gravity slide having a plurality of arcuate recesses in the periphery thereof for the reception of said circular caps coming from said slide, and means comprising a mechanism interconnected with'said turntable mechanism for intermittently stopping the rotation of said disc simultaneously with the stopping of the rotation of said turntable.

15. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with means for electing the capped barrel from the machine including, a trigger mechanism actuated by a stationary circular cam for releasing said barrel from said holder so that the barrel may drop out of the holder by gravity.

16. In a machine for adhesively securing a cap to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like having a longitudinally mounted and intermittently rotatable turntable with barrel holders perpendicularly mounted thereon for the reception of said barrels being fed from a hopper; said turntable adapted to be intermittently rotated by a suitable mechanism; in combination with a cap feeding mechanism for holding circular caps including, an inclined hopper having a rotatable base plate therein with pickers thereon for carrying said circular caps up to a slide, an intermittently rotatable disc adjacent the bottom of said slide having a plurality oi? arcuate recesses in the periphery thereof for the reception of said circular caps, and means comprising a mechanism interconnected with said turntable mechanism for ing a cap .to the ends of fountain pen barrels or the like intermittently stopping said disc simultaneously with the stopping of said turntable.

17. A machine for adhesively securing a plastic cap to the end of a plastic tube, comprising, a substantiaily circular turntable horizontally mounted and adapted to be intermittently rotated by suitable mechanism, a plurality of tubular holders perpendicularly mounted upon said turntable and equally spaced thereon for conveying said plastic tubes to various operating stations on said machine, a gravity feed hopper containing said plastic tubes, a conical feeder having longitudinal recesses therein along the frustum of said cone, a cover plate surrounding said cone having an opening therein so said plastic tube can pass from said hopper into said recesses in said cone, said cone being situated in a position to convey said tube from a horizontal position from said hopper to a vertical position to said tubular holders, an arcuate plate adjacent the bottom of said holders actuated by a trigger mechanism and stationary cam for releasing and holding said tube within said holder, a second hopper containing plastic caps having means therein for feeding said caps to a gravity slide, an intermittently rotatable disc having equally spaced recesses around the periphery thereof for the reception of said caps coming from said gravity slide, suitable mechanism for intermittently rotating said disc synchronously with said turntable, and a cam actuating mechanism for simultaneously dipping the bottom end of a plastic tube into an adhesive and securing a cap to the preceding tube that has already been dIDDed into the adhesive.

MAURICE J. WALDINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

